Creed glanced at me. “What do you want to do?”
“Let’s go,” I decided, moving forward. “We can’t afford to wait.”
We eased toward the RV, flattening ourselves against the side as I reached for the handle. The door clicked open without issue and I stepped inside, my gaze sweeping the room. I motioned for Creed to enter as I moved down the hall. When I saw the bed, I nudged Creed.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he griped, looking incredulous. “Can we just shoot him for being stupid?”
“After,” I agreed, sliding along the edge of the bed and placing my gun against the snoring man’s temple. The cocking of the gun caused his eyes to pop open. “Where’s Cadence?”
“Who?”
I lost my patience and slammed my hand against his throat, pressing his head into the bed. “The woman,” I growled. “Where is the woman?”
He thrashed against the bed, mumbling indecipherably. I relaxed my hold and his head shot up, and he gasped for air. “I’ll ask you again.”
“I don’t know! I swear. She’s not here. I’m supposed to wait for her to show,” he cried, scuttling away from me. “Please don’t kill me,” he begged, sniffling in his armpit.
“Where the hell are Cadence and Crew?” Creed roared, banging his fist against the wall. “They didn’t disappear.”
A faint knocking had me cocking my head, and I motioned for Creed to be quiet. “You hear that?” He squinted and then nodded, gesturing to the bed. “Off,” I snarled, yanking the sniveling coward to the floor. “Cadence?”
The sound of a deadbolt being thrown open came to us and then the bed lifted up. Crew sat up, groaning. “You couldn’t have gotten here sooner,” he bitched, his neck popping as he stretched, hopping out of the inside of the bed. “I’ve seen bigger coffins.”
Cadence clambered out, kissing me on the cheek before squeezing past me. “Excuse me.”
“She has to pee,” Crew offered, rotating his shoulders. “Jesus, am I glad to see you two.” He caught sight of Riley. “Who’s that?”
“Our newest Rebel,” Creed answered smoothly before I could say anything. “He alerted us to your predicament.”
Crew nodded to him. “Thanks. Not sure how much longer I could have stayed in there.”
“What happened?”
Crew shrugged. “Changed the tire. Bunch of douche bags rolled up in SUVs. More than I could take on so we hid.” Crew looked at the bed again. “Next time, I’ll take my chances.” He looked at me. “They were headed for Dwayne’s would be my guess.”
“How did they know to come here though?” I questioned as Cadence came back in the room. “They knew exactly where you were.”
“I know,” the guy on the floor raised his hand. “A guy named Dale tipped boss man off.”
“Dale?” Riley repeated, paling as he looked at me. “Like my dad, Dale?”
“That I don’t know, kid. Just the name Dale,” the guy answered, hugging his knees.
Creed, Crew, and I exchanged glances. There was only one Dale in town that would know where Cadence was and also be in a position to tell this guy’s boss.
“We should probably go to Dwayne’s,” Cadence interjected. “He might need some backup.”
“I’ll call Johnny,” Crew said eagerly, squeezing out of the crowded room. Creed looked at the guy on the floor.
“What do we do with him?”
“Let me go?” The guy asked hopefully.
“Nope,” I answered, pulling handcuffs out of my back pocket. “I’ll get a unit out here to pick him up.”
“Come on, Riley,” Cadence took his arm. “Let’s wait outside.”
“You think my dad sold you out?” Riley questioned but I couldn’t make out Cadence’s reply as they exited the RV.
Creed looked at me. “Johnny tell you who the fall guy is for Cal’s murder?”
“He didn’t,” I replied, my gaze still on the door they’d left through. “But I have a pretty good idea.”
Creed shook his head. “Dumb bastard. Johnny won’t let him live after this.”
“What about me?” The guy asked desperately as I handcuffed him. “I don’t want to die.”
“Then don’t give me a reason to kill you,” I threatened, shoving the guy out the room. “I’ve got enough to clean up.”
Chapter Twelve
Cadence
Noah was silent as he drove us to Dwayne’s, not even drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, and I started to get nervous. “Noah.”
He didn’t answer and I exchanged a glance with Nico.
“Noah,” I said again, a little louder and this time I got a reaction. “Are you upset with me?”
He stared at me a beat too long, driving the car on to the shoulder. He corrected the car before he answered. “I’m not upset with you. No. Why would you think that?”
“You haven’t spoken since we left and I didn’t stay at the garage with Crew,” I pointed out.
“I…I almost lost you,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t know if you were a hostage or they’d killed you.”